Brush handle adjustment

ABSTRACT

A brush with a long handle extending from the body has bristles slanted in directions non-coincident with planes containing the handle. The handle is connected to the body to be moved between opposed positions relative thereto where opposite ends extend from the handle.

United States Patent 1 1 11 3,729,762 Roth 1451 May 1, 1973 54 BRUSH HANDLE ADJUSTMENT 287,187 /1883 Stanton ..l5/l60 4 7 l 9 ..l5 I72 [76] Inventor: Eric Michael Roth, Unionville, On- 1 l Tsuwwa lafiO, Canada FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Filed= June 2, 1971 193,040 3/1938 Switzerland .l5/l60 21 Appl. No.: 149,142

Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Related US. Application Data Attorney westen & Hanley [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 21,447, March 20,

1970. [57] ABSTRACT [52] U S Cl /144 B 306/2 A brush with a long handle extending from the body [51] Bg U06 has bristles slanted in directions nonwoincident with [58] Field oi'ii'fffffIIIIIIIII I571 R 159 A Planes containing the handle The handle is wrmected 15/144 B, 143 B, 172, 306/1 32, to the body to be moved between opposed positions 40 129, 132/85 84 B relative thereto where opposite ends extend from the handle. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures 1,199,268 9/1916 Haller ..l5/l72 Patented May 1, 1973 i 3,729,762

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ERIC M. ROTH Patented May 1, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 1, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 v GP GE V///// /J K OWN;

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Wwtwl BRUSH HANDLE ADJUSTMENT This application is a continuation-in-part of application, Ser. No. 21,447 filed Mar. 20, 1970.

A brush has slanted bristles and the direction of slant defines a preferred direction of brushing. A handle which projects from the bristle holding body perpendicular to the plane containing the bristle and normal to the bristle matrix surface, is designed to be slidable relative to the bristle holding body to extend from either end.

The principal use of the brush with which this invention is concerned is for the removal of lint, and small foreign particles from clothing, fabrics and the like.

This invention relates to a brush of the type wherein it is desirable to be able to rotate or change the angle of the bristles relative to the manual grasping means. Such change of angle is usually a reversal and this is what is achieved by the development of this invention.

Reversal of the angle of bristle slope is desirable, for example, where the bristles are slanted in such a direction relative to the handle to slope toward or away from the brushing direction rather than normal thereto. In such arrangement brushing is customarily performed for the best results, with the bristles advanced in the brush stroke direction (which is usually transverse to the handle) and thus it will be desirable to have the bristles advanced in one direction for right-handed brushing and in the other direction for left-handed brushing.

Another reason for reversal of the handle direction relative to the brush may be that the tip of the brush remote from the handle extension direction may be used, in one case, for an application of something such as cleaning fluid or polish but where, thereafter, it is desirable to use such tip for brushing or polishing. Thus it would be desirable if the handle could be made to selectively extend in opposite directions from the brush to selectively use either end as the handle remote tip. There may be a number of other reasons why it is desirable to reverse the direction of extension of the handle relative to the brush.

Prior methods of achieving reversal of the handle extension direction relative to the brush have involved rotating the bristle holding surface relative to the handle about an axis approximately perpendicular to the bristle surface or about an axis parallel to the bristle surface and transverse to the handle extension direction.

In both cases these arrangements have involved relatively expensive design in comparison to the cost of the article and the cost of such pivotal means frequently includes the cost of releasable stop means in each of the selectable positions.

This invention provides a brush, wherein bristles or fabric pile acting as bristles, are supported on a supporting body, which is designed for sliding connection with a longitudinally extending handle in such manner, that the handle slides longitudinally relative to the body. The handle slides longitudinally between two positions to extend, respectively, from one and from the other end of the body. A suitable stop means and holding means are provided so that the handle may be releasably positioned at either of such positions, i.e., where it is extending from one end or the other of the brush body. Thus there is provided, 'a simple means,

whereby the orientation of the brush relative to the handle may be reversed by sliding movement of the handle. The handle allows, with the slanted bristles above referred to, either left or right handed bristles.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. I shows a top view of a brush in accord with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the brush;

FIG. 3 shows an end view of the brush;

FIG. 4 shows a vertical cross-section of the brush; and

FIG. 5 shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of the device;

FIGS. 6 and 7 shows a side and end view of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-section along the lines 88 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a further alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 shows a cross-section along the line 11-11 of FIG. 9; and

FIGS. 12a and 12b show alternative methods of connecting the brush body to the brush handle with the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10, and either of these may be considered as being taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 1 1.

In the drawings, a brush body 10 is shaped to support a suitably cut pile fabric 12 which may be of any suitable material, made from the type of materials, including, natural fibers, chemical fibers or synthetic fibers and fastened to be supported by a suitably shaped lower wall 14 of the brush.

The pile fabric which it is preferred to use as the bristle forming member with this invention is produced by nylon strings woven through a cotton backing to provide at the intended front of the fabric nylon string extents between stitch apertures which are double the pile length required.

These extends are then cut to produce the piles and these are panned which is the application of a heated surface to the piles in one sense to produce the required slant.

Inter alia this material may be obtained through Collins & Aikman Corporation, Ca-vel Division, Ca-vel, N. C., U.S.A. 27112.

The pile may be attached in any known manner, including (as shown) being clamped by a surrounding O- ring of rubber or plastic 16 in a complementarily shaped groove at the peripheral boundary of the lower wall 14. The form and cut of the pile is, in the form of the brush shown, cut for clamping in an arrangement so that the majority and preferably all the bristles slant at approximately the same angle to the surface of the bristle or pile matrix, as indicated in FIG. 3 where the bristles are shown sloping to the right.

The body member 10, which is hollow, is provided with similarly shaped apertures 18 at each end, aligned with each other, to define a passageway or channel through the body in the longitudinal dimension of the body, that is, the desired direction of handle extension.

A handle member 20 is provided, whose main functional characteristic is that it is manually slidable in the defined passageway and may be fixed with the selected either end projecting from the passageway or channel.

In the preferred embodiment the above features are achieved by a handle having end portions shaped to be complementary to and slidable in the apertures 18. The handle is, therefore, slidable to extend from either end of body and stop means are provided constituted by a pin 22 extending downwardly from the handle and adapted in each limiting position to arrive in abutment with a surface 24 on the inside of body member 10. It will be noted that the shape of the handle and of its passageway are such that the handle is keyed against rotation or separation relative to the bristle holding body. Releasable stops to fix the handle in each limiting position are provided by a resiliently depressable raised dimple or dent 26 (formed on material extending inwardly from the wall on body 10) which in each limiting position releasably holds the pin 22 in contact with surface 24 but where each dimple is designed to be depressed to allow movement thereover of the pin 22 when the handle is moved longitudinally and in order to move the pin 22 and the handle longitudinally to the other limiting position.

Preferably, each end of the handle is shaped to be faired into the surface of the body at each limiting position, as illustrated by the solid line F of FIG. 4.

The bristles formed by a fabric pile as above described, may be replaced, if desired, by conventional bristles or bristle bundles in a plastic or other matrix sloped in the same manner as the fabric pile above described.

With either pile or conventional bristles these are sloped, as best shown in FIG. 3, so that the main body of the bristles are sloped in the same, non-normal direction relative to the bristle matrix surface, and such slope is preferably such that the plane containing a bristle and the normal to the bristle surface is parallel to the plane of the drawing relative to FIG. 3.

Thus a plane containing such sloping bristle and the normal at the root is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the handle.

It is noted that the handle passing through aperture 18 in the body 10 may be replaced by alternative sliding connections between the body and the handle. Some of these are discussed herein.

FIGS. 5-8 show an alternative wherein the handle stops at the limiting positions are constructed as in the embodiment of FIGS. l-4 although the bristles are preferably constructed and attached to the brush body as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 5-8.

The handle body 120 is designed, as before, for longitudinal sliding through the body 110 in a bore or channel 118 in the material (preferably plastic) forming the walls of the body 120. The bore 118 is made generally rectangular for slidable reception of the handle 120 which is preferably made of correspondingly rectangular cross-section to key the body and handle members against rotation. Any other method of keying these members may be used.

The brush handle 120 is shaped as best shown in FIG. 8 symmetrically shaped about a central plane transverse to the handle extension direction. The brush handle, as best shown in FIG. 8 is slightly curved to provide a mild central upward concavity, flanked on each side by a pair of mild downward concavity. This mild sinuous curvature designed in cooperation with the longitudinal spacing of the body end walls 122 near aperture 118, and in cooperation with the clearance between the handle and the aperture, is designed to allow forced insertion of the handle 120 into body 110. Once the handle is located in the brush, stop or dent means, are provided, which may be of any convenient design, to stop the handle at either limiting position as illustrated by, respectively, the solid or the dotted line position, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The preferred stop means, comprises a pair of tines or detents 124, out out of the upper surface of the handle material, extending toward one another to free ends, spaced by slightly more than the thickness of the body wall, and sprung upwardly relative to the upper surface of the handle, As best shown in FIG. 8, the two free ends, effectively may rest on each side of the body wall to effectively stop the handle in position with one of its ends extending for manual grasping. When it is desired to move the handle to the other extension position, the tine 124 then exterior to the body is depressed by the finger until the I handle may be slid into the body, with the then exterior tine moving therein to the counterpart position where one of the tines is inside and one outside the opposite wall 122. At this position the then interior tine blocks further movement of the handle in the direction which would carry the interior tine outward, while the then exterior tine 124 springs upwardly, to prevent movement of the handle and tine back into the body. Thus the handle is retained with its opposite end projecting from the casing, for use, and until the then outward tine 124 is depressed to allow movement of the handle back to its original position.

FIGS. 9-12 show a third alternative wherein, instead of extending through an aperture in the body 210, the handle 220 slides on top thereof. Two alternative connections between the handle and body are shown. In FIG. 120 the handle is a downwardly open rectangular U-shape in cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the handle and the lower ends of the U from inwardly turned flanges214. The body 220 provides an upward extending ridge or channel portion 222 which slides inside the handle, and the ridge has an upper surface 224 which slides just below the upper wall 212 of handle 210. The ridge 222 is also shaped to provide a groove 226 extending longitudinally on the handle longitudinal dimension to receive the inturned flanges 214. Thus the handle will slide longitudinally on the channel 222 relative to the body but will remain in engagement therewith. As shown in FIGS. 9 and l 1 stop means are provided for the handle by providing apertures 216 spaced from each end of the handle as hereinafter discussed.

A resilient tine 228 constructed of the body material which is preferably of any hard, resilient plastic, is provided extending longitudinally in the upper surface 224 of the body member, and is provided with a knob or dent 230 designed to be normally spring biased to project through either aperture 216 in the upper surface of handle 220. The handle apertures 216 are located so that in the two positions where the bead 230 projects through the aperture 216, the handle extends in relatively opposite directions from the body. So the bead 230 resting in the aperture 216 retains the handle in brushing position for use. When it is desired to shift the handle to the opposite position, the bead is digitally depressed and the handle may then be manually slid to the other opposite extension position, where the bead 230 springs through the other aperture 216 to hold the handle in that position until the bead 230 is again digitally depressed to again move the handle.

The alternative of FIG. 12b is similar to that of FIG. 12a as to the stop or dent means 230 and 216 and as to the handle U shape and the body member ridge or channel 322. The handle inwardly directed flanges 214 have been replaced by outwardly directed flanges 314. The outwardly directed flanges 314 are received in complementary grooves 326 in the body, for longitudinal sliding while preventing separation of the handle and body as described in the previous embodiment.

In all embodiments, the fabric and retaining ring may be constructed as described in connection with the first embodiment. In all embodiments, the cloth may be replaced by similarly sloping bristles of another type. In all embodiments, the remaining members may be made of any suitable, relatively hard, slightly resilient plastic such as high impact styrene, the model preferred by applicant.

I claim:

1. A brush comprising:

a. a body member,

b. said body member having a handle receiving channel portion extending substantially the full length of said body member,

c. a handle member having a length substantially greater than the length of said body member and being slideably positioned in said channel portion,

d. said handle member having a first half and a second half and being arranged so that one of said halves overlies said body member, the other of said halves extending beyond said body member,

c. said handle member being axially slideable from a first position wherein said first half overlies said body member and said second half extends beyond said body member to a second position wherein said second half overlies said body member and said first half extends beyond said body member without relative rotation of said body member and said handle member,

. manually releasable detent means for securing said handle member against any axial motion while in either said first or second position,

g. means for preventing separation of said members at any relative position of said members,

h. whereby said handle member may be positively secured at either of said positions and is positively retained on said body member at any relative position of said members.

2. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein:

a. said detent means comprises a pin on said handle member, and

b. resilient receiving dimple means on said body member for engaging and holding said projection pin at one of said positions 3. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein:

a. said detent means comprises a knob on said body member, and

b. means on said handle member for engaging said knob and thereby holding said handle member at one of said positions.

4. A brush as in claim 3 and wherein: a. said knob is resiliently biased toward said handle member.

5. A brush as in claim 4 and wherein:

a. said engaging means comprises a pair of openings in said handle member.

6. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein:

a. said separation preventing means comprises an outwardly turned flange on one of said members and b. an inwardly turned flange on the other of said members,

c. said flanges being cooperatively interengaged for preventing separation of said members.

7. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein:

a. said detent means comprises a tine on said handle member resiliently biased away from said handle member for engaging said body member and thereby holding said handle member at one of said positions.

8. A brush as in claim 7 and wherein:

a. said separation preventing means includes another tine on said handle member resiliently biased away from said handle member for engaging said body member and thereby preventing separation of said members. 

1. A brush comprising: a. a body member, b. said body member having a handle receiving channel portion extending substantially the full length of said body member, c. a handle member having a length substantially greater than the length of said body member and being slideably positioned in said channel portion, d. said handle member having a first half and a second half and being arranged so that one of said halves overlies said body member, the other of said halves extending beyond said body member, e. said handle member being axially slideable from a first position wherein said first half overlies said body member and said second half extends beyond said body member to a second position wherein said second half overlies said body member aNd said first half extends beyond said body member without relative rotation of said body member and said handle member, f. manually releasable detent means for securing said handle member against any axial motion while in either said first or second position, g. means for preventing separation of said members at any relative position of said members, h. whereby said handle member may be positively secured at either of said positions and is positively retained on said body member at any relative position of said members.
 2. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein: a. said detent means comprises a pin on said handle member, and b. resilient receiving dimple means on said body member for engaging and holding said projection pin at one of said positions.
 3. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein: a. said detent means comprises a knob on said body member, and b. means on said handle member for engaging said knob and thereby holding said handle member at one of said positions.
 4. A brush as in claim 3 and wherein: a. said knob is resiliently biased toward said handle member.
 5. A brush as in claim 4 and wherein: a. said engaging means comprises a pair of openings in said handle member.
 6. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein: a. said separation preventing means comprises an outwardly turned flange on one of said members, and b. an inwardly turned flange on the other of said members, c. said flanges being cooperatively interengaged for preventing separation of said members.
 7. A brush as in claim 1 and wherein: a. said detent means comprises a tine on said handle member resiliently biased away from said handle member for engaging said body member and thereby holding said handle member at one of said positions.
 8. A brush as in claim 7 and wherein: a. said separation preventing means includes another tine on said handle member resiliently biased away from said handle member for engaging said body member and thereby preventing separation of said members. 